Nintendo

Unifying a suite of tools for game developers.

What is NTD?

I worked for Nintendo Technology Development (NTD), the hardware-focused R&D arm of Nintendo. NTD's primary product is a suite of tools for game developers. The tools are used by all kinds of game developers, from single-developer indies to large triple-A studios and Nintendo itself.

Design system

In order to unify our tools, NTD decided to create a design system, which was one of my main projects. I helped choose color palettes, define typographic styles, and craft a large library of elements. Because NTD is developer-facing, we set out to have a design system that is distinct from Nintendo's consumer-facing brand identity, which meant we had to craft our look and feel from scratch.

I especially focused on defining icon styles, creating various types of icons, and designing a dark theme. I also prototyped micro-interactions for some elements. The image on the right depicts a small part of what we created in our design system but is not real NTD work.

Game developer tools

In addition to the design system, I provided deliverables for various tools, from wireframes to high-fidelity mockups and an interactive prototype. In designing these products, I applied our design system and worked closely with engineers to ensure smooth implementation. I assisted with research, including interviews, surveys, observational studies, and usability testing.

UX guidelines

Our team created a set of guidelines for internal use that allows people to determine whether their tool meets UX best practices.

I contributed visual design work for this project like icons and illustrations. I created the artwork at the top of this page for the landing page of our guidelines. With guidance from our UX writer, I wrote a section on illustrations in interfaces.

Reflection

Working at NTD was an incredible learning experience, both professionally and personally. Firstly, I gained experience as a member of small UX team that works within a large engineering division. This meant frequently meeting with developers to hash out the feasibility of potential features and handoff of design work.

We also worked with our Japan-based teams, and our tools have to work in both English and Japanese. As a result, I became familiar with differences in Japanese interfaces and cultural preferences. I learned how to design for text that looks vastly different once localized. Navigating our parent company's time zone, opinions, and language was a unique experience was another important takeaway for me.

For a million other lessons, for supporting me along the way, and for this amazing opportunity, I am incredibly grateful for my team. Thank you.